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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” May 2, 2012 • Vol. XXV • No. 9 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
NOLA Gets Racy With New Motorsports Park By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
Monitoring a Cruise Shipw reck…8
Yancey Bros. Offers Rebuild Options in Ga. …16
Visitors to New Orleans now have a new entry to add to their itineraries. Just 14 miles from the infamous French Quarter is NOLA Motorsports Park, a $60 million racetrack located on 750 acres in Jefferson Parish. The facility features three separate tracks and an eight-acre paved area for autocross competition. Although it’s already well beyond the initial concept, it’s just the beginning. “It started as a small $7 million project — just asphalt and corners,” laughed Mitch Wright, general manager. Developed and funded by retired doctor Laney Chouest, the track was originally conceived as a place where automotive enthusiasts could safely test the limits of their high-performance cars. What he discovered was “a whole industry that could support this,” Wright said. The business model quickly expanded from serving the sizeable community of wealthy car and motorcycle owners in a membership format to catering to a public hungry for speed by issuing day passes and hosting business retreats. But even the see NOLA page 20 Photo courtesy of NOLAmotorsports
The $60 million racetrack located on 750 acres in Jefferson Parish features three separate tracks and an eight-acre paved area for autocross competition.
Thompson Truck Centers Delivers Cat CT660s…26
Table of Contents ................4
Manntown Bridge Project Progresses Construction Employment Increases in Private Sector By Cindy Riley
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Truck & Trailer Section ........ ......................................26-30
Despite a change in the original plans, the replacement of Florida’s Manntown Bridge on County Road 125 in Baker County is progressing on schedule, according to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
Attachment Section ....31-34
see BRIDGE page 64
Recycling Section ........37-49 Parts Section ................50-51 Auction Section ..........62-75 Business Calendar ............72 Advertisers Index ..............74
A Kobelco CK 2500 crane walks alongside the new bridge on the work trestle to deliver materials to the other side of the bridge. Photo courtesy of the Florida Department of Transportation
Construction employment increased in 171 out of 337 metropolitan areas between February 2011 and February 2012, decreased in 119 and stayed level in 47, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released April 10 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said employment was increasing in many metro areas due in large part to growing private sector demand for construction. “It is encouraging that the number of metro areas experiencing construction job gains outpaced the number of areas with losses,” said Ken
Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The increases would be even more widespread if not for public sector budget woes and a shaky homebuilding market.” Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J., added the highest percentage of new construction jobs (33 percent, 1,300 jobs) followed by Michigan City-La Porte, Ind. (31 percent, 400 jobs). Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colo., added the most jobs (6,300 jobs, 10 percent). Other areas adding a large number of jobs included Los AngelesLong Beach-Glendale, Calif. (4,700 see INCREASE page 50